Ditching machine



I. SOMMER.

' .DlTcHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, I920.

1,420,876. l Patented June 27,1922;

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. SOMMER.

DITCHING MACHINE.

, APPLlcATloN man F5346, 1920.

Patented June 27, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHE-ET 2.

J. SOMMER.

DITCHING MACHINE. APPucATloN man FEB. s. 1920.

Patented'June 27, 1922.

l. SOMMER'. I

DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rlLen rsa. 6. |920.

Patented June 27', 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

reina.

JOHN sor/Liann; on riioRIA, ILLINOIS.

' DITCHING MACHINE.

' Specification of ietters Patent.

Patented J une 27, 192,2.

Application filed February 6, 1920.' Serial No. 356,639;

' Illinois, have invented new and useful linprovements in Ditching Machines, of which the following isa specification.k

This invention has reference to ditching machines, and relates particularly to that type employing a revolving ditching wheel having buckets connected thereto, with which to dothe digging.

One ofthe objects of the invention isto improve structuresofthis kind, by provid-1V ingy a cleaner which passes through the buckets as the wheel is revolved, said cleane ing means hav-ing the added function of opening the back end of the buckets during the cleaning operation.

The invention has fora further object to improve structures of 'this character, by providing the back' ends of the buckets withl swinging doors, orgates, which are opened through the action of the cleaning means which passes through the buckets' as the wheel is revolved, said cleaning means entering between and forcibly opening said doors, or gates A further objectof the invention resides in the knife structure adapted to be manually actuated for cleaning the insides of the riins of the buckets as the ditching wheel is rotated.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to theaccomf panying drawings forming ka part ofthe description, in which a preferred embodiment` of the invention islshown, wherein,V v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ditching wheel'embodying my invention, a suiiicient portion off the framework being shown to show the support for said ditching wheel;f

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan viewA ofi a part of the ditching wheel, parts being broken away to showin plan, the means for forcibly swinging the doors or gatesat the back ends of the buckets; n

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation as the same would appear if taken on the line- 3 3, Figure 2,- looking' in the direction of the arrows; f'

Figure d is a detail showing the back end of a bucket and my improved doors or gates hingedly connected thereto; l

Figure 5 is a detail cross-section, in plan,

als the samewouldk appear if; taken on the line 5 5, Figure 4l, andk Figure-dis a vertical crosssection asther same would appear if taken on the line (S4-6 Figure 3, looking in the'direction ofthe arrow.'

' Like'characters of referencedenote'corresponding parts throughout thel figures.v

In Figure 14y of the drawings, I have shownl the frame work comprising the members 1 2 and 3 which constitutes part' of the general forward frame work of a ditching machine, provided with a revolving ditching wheel. The ditching'wheel is designated 4 and it includes the spaced rings 5 preferably for-med with internal gears 6 which mesh withthe smaller pinions-" receiving power from a shaft 8, onl which is carrieda sprocket wheel 9 engaged by a sprocket' chain 10, actuated by a pinion 11l onl a drive shaft 12, adapted to receive its power from an enginel orfmotor, and suitabley driving mechanism supported or carried bythe main frame work ofg the machine.

The framework supportingl the ditchingwheel includes a pair of trusses 13 construct-` edofv the rails 1d and 15, and the braces 16, the inner ends-of said trusses hung ina well known manner, to permit the same to be raised and llowered atA their outer ends and also raised bodily for positioning the ditching wheel relatively toitswork s the invention doesnotrelate, per se, to the structuralffeatures of the frame,- nor tothe means forl raising and 'loweringthe trusses13, no further detailed?,explanation` need be given' to'these elements ofthe machine.

17 designates the digging buckets of which there are a` plurality, spaced around the ditching wheel andbowed so as to be secured to the opposite rings 5 of said ditching wheel, in awell known manner 4andas shown in the drawings. The bodies-of these buckets are solidi throughout their lengths and widths, and: at their forward ends are provided vvith a plurality of digging teeth 18. rlhe back endsofV these buckets arefnormally closed preferably bya pair of doors or gates 19, which extend down into the wheel be? tween the rims -`andto a point approximately in the same plane with the teeth ofi` the gear wheelsA 6, formed or attached tovsaid ringsl 5. Each dooror gate isformedv with a longitudinal opening' 2O therethrough, protected by strengthening bosses 2l caston opposite sides of said doors or gates and with a plurality of laterally extended webs 22, to give transverse strength to said doors or gates.

I/Vhen the doors or gates are in assembled position on the buckets, stems or spindles 23 pass down through the openings 2O and are secured in place by nuts 24, screwed on to threaded ends of said stems or spindles, and seated within recesses 25 in the lower ends of said doors or gates. The stems or spindles 23 are connected to or form part of brackets or castings 26 secured to the inner walls of the buckets at their back .ends and braced by the outside plates 27.

In the normal closed position of the doors, or gates 19, the inner meeting edges are slightly spaced apart, as best seen in Fig. 4, which provides for the entrance therebetween of a wedge shaped end 28, of a cleaning bar 29 preferably7 T-shaped, which is supported in an inclined position, see Fig. 3, and sustained at one end by connections with a transverse, preferably channel frame 30, connected to the frame parts of the trusses 13. It is the function of the bar 29, with its wedge shaped end 28, to pass through the buckets as the digging wheel is revolved for the purpose of cleaning the buckets of dirt, and it is the further function of said bar to enter between the doors or gates 19 as the wheel 4 is revolved, t0 positively oscillate or swing the said doors or gates 19 from the position shown in Fig. 4, to the position shown in Fig. 6, which will permit the clearing of the buckets of the dirt elevated therein. The bar 29 is preferably located in line with the vertical axis of the wheel 4 at a point where the material may be discharged from the buckets on to a transverse conveyor 31, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, and operatively carried through the trusses 13 between the braces 16.

The doors or gates are intended to be swung approximately a quarter of a turn, which will be suiiicient to open the back ends of the buckets, and to provide for the release of the material therein, and to limit the swinging of said doors or gates when forced open by the bar 29, as explained, a shoulder 32 is preferably arranged at the top ends thereof, and is designed to come into contact with an off-.iet or shoulder 33 on the brackets or castings 26, best seen in Figure 5. The doors or gates 19 assume a closed position when the buckets enter the ground and the dirt is forced thereagainst, as will be understood, and said shoulders 32 come into engagement with other olf-sets 33a.

In the event of the reverse rotation of the ditching Wheel 4, as might be the case under certain circumstances, I provide for the swinging open of said doors 0r gates 19, as they approach contact with the lower end of the bar 29, and this I accomplish by means of the flanged plates 34 located upon opposite sides of the bar 29 and secured to the transverse channel beam 30, see Figure 2. The upstanding Hanges of the plates 34 converge toward each other from a point where the doors or gates 19 would come into contact therewith, if the wheel was reversed, as will be understood, by referring to Figure 2, the function of which, as will be understood, is to engage the body portions of said doors or gates 19 near their outside edges as the wheel is rotated backwardly, moving the doors or gates'in between the diverging portions of the flange plates 34, the flanges of said plates operating to swing the said doors or gates open.

35 designate cutting knives located upon opposite sides of the wheel 4, adapted to be oscillated so as t0 move the same up and down between the rings 5 of the wheel, and adjacent the inside of said rings. The lower ends of these cutting knives are connected with stems or spindles 36 which extend outwardly to the outside of the frame supporting wheel 4, and suitably journaled in bearings 37 secured to the trusses 13. To the outer end of one stem or spindle 36, is connected a lever 38 to be engaged by the 0perator or attendant, when he desires to oscillate the spindles or stems 36 to raise and lower said cutting knives 35. To the outer end of the other stem or spindle 36 is c0nnected a crank arm 39. IThis crank arm, as well as the lever, is connected by similar reach bars 40 with crank arms 41 secured on the opposite ends of a short shaft 42, journaled in bearings 43 on the trusses 13.

It is obvious, that when an attendant engages the lever 38 and swings it into the position shown in Figure 1, that through the connections which I have just described, the knives 35 will move up through the material elevated by the buckets and detach the same from the inside face of the rings 5. This movement of the knives may be made eil'ective whenever desired by attendant, andnthe knives permitted to remain in the cutting position, or lowered as desired.

What I claim is z* 1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, a pair of gates to close the back end of the bucket, and cleaning means for the bucket which enters between and opens said gates.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, a pair of gates to close the back end of the bucket, means to enter the bucket for cleaning the same, and also adapted to enter between and open said gates, and means to limit the opening movement of said gates.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, a pair of gates to close the back end of the bucket, means to enter the bucket for cleaning the same, and

also adapted to enter between and open said gates, means to limit the opening movement of said gates, and a stop to limit the closing movement of said gates.

el. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, digging means on the front end of said bucket, a pair of spindles connected to and extending across the back end of the bucket, and a gate swingablyv connected with each spindle.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, digging means on the front end of said bucket, a pair of brackets connected to the bucket at its back end and each having a depending spindle, and a gate swingably connected with each spindle.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, digging means on the front end of said bucket, a pair of gates for closing the back end of said bucket, means for hingedly connecting the gates to the bucket, and reinforcing ribs for said gate, said ribs extending longitudinallyT and laterally of said gates.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, a pair of hinged gates to close the back end of each bucket, and means to enter between said gates to open the sameas the wheel is revolved.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, a pair of hinged gates to close the back end of each bucket, and a member having a wedge end to enter between said gates to open the same as the wheel is revolved.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, a pair of hinged gates to Vclose the back end of each bucket, means to enter between said gates to open the same as the wheel is rotated in one direction, and means to forcibly open the gates when the wheel is rotated in a reverse direction.

Y 10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, a pair of hinged gates to close the back end of each bucket, means to enter between each pair of gates as the wheel is revolved in one direction to open said gates, and means to engage the outside portions of said gates when the wheel is revolved in an opposite direction to open said gates.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, a wheel having spaced rings, buckets connecting said rings, a pair of knives pivotally supported to be oscillated between and adjacent to said rings, a lever, operating connections between said lever and said knives, and cleaning means normally disposed in an inclined position midway between said knives and adapted to enter said buckets as the wheel is revolved.

12. In a device of the class described, in combination, a bucket, digging means on the front end of said bucket, a pair of hinged gates to close the back end of the bucket, and means to limit the opening movement of said gates.

13. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, digging means on the front end of each bucket, and a pair or" hinged gates to close the back end of each bucket.

14. In a device of the class described, in combination, a revoluble wheel, a plurality of buckets connected to said wheel, digging means on the front end of each bucket, a pair of hinged gates to close the back end of each bucket, and means to limit the opening movement of said gates.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aixed my hand this 31st day of January, 1920.

JOHN SOMMER. 

